Charcoal broiler



United States Patent CHARCOAL BROILER' John c. Tescula, Fairview Park, Ohio Application July 30, 1954, Serial No. 446,734 Claims. (Cl. 126-25 This invention relates generally to charcoal broilers, and has for its primary object the provision of improvements therein providing for a readily portable and easily convertible unit.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved form of charcoal broiler in which a fire box member is movably mounted within a' base for movement between a nested position therein and an upstandingposition, the fire box being capable of use in both positions and being readily adaptable for transportation and storage in the nested position.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved charcoal broiler; I

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the assembly shown in Figure 1; I

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken substantially along the plane of section line 3'-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the fire box unit and its support showing the fire box in nested position.

Referring now more particularly 'to the drawings, the base of the charcoal broiler will be seen to consist of a pair of opposite side 'memberslt) and 12 interconnected at their opposite ends by the end frame members 14 and 16. These frame members are preferably formed of inverted L-shaped configuration such as to present an inwardly directed horizontal lip or flange 18 extending peripherally around the base. At one end of the base is provided a pair of support legs 20 which are connected to the base by means of pin members 22 such that the leg members may be swung upwardly to be nested within the base in the manner indicated by the arrows in Figure 2. At the opposite ends of the base, are additional leg members 24 provided with rollers or wheels 26 at their lower ends secured thereto, as by axle pins 28. The upper ends of these legs are pinned, as at 30, to the frame and may be swung in a manner similar to the previously mentioned legs 20 in the manner indicated by the arrows in Figure 2.

At that end of the charcoal broiler assembly to which the legs 20 are attached, a generally U-shaped handle member 32 is secured, that is, to the end frame member 14 such that when it is desired to transport the broiler frame, it is merely necessary to lift upwardly slightly on the handle member 32 to disengage the legs 20 from the ground and push the broiler along on the wheels 26. That end of the frame is also provided with a top member 34 which overlies portions of the lip or flange 18 and is rigidly secured thereto such as to present a work table or means of supporting food, condiments and the like. The opposite end of the base supports a pan unit which includes the side wall members 36 and 38 having outinner surfaces with longitudinally extending horizontal grooves 46 which extend throughout a portion .of their length in the manner shown in Figure 2. These grooves receive opposite end portions of a rod member 48 which is rigidly secured to the bottom wall of a fire box member indicated generally by the reference character 50., The

end wall of the fire box is indicated by the reference character 52, whereas the reference characters 54 and 56;

indicate opposed vertical end wall members which are of channel-shaped configuration presenting inwardly directed leg portions 58 and 60 to which expanded metal side walls 62 and 64 are secured and to the upstanding legs 66 of the bottom wall 52. Thus, the fire box assembly is movable, by a combination of sliding and swinging motion,

between the upright position shown in Figure 2 by full lines therein and the nested position illustrated by dotted lines in Figure 2 and as shown in perspective Figure'4.

To maintain the fire box assembly in the vertical position as shown in full lines in Figure 2, a removable rod member 68 is provided which includes oppositely directed laterally bent end portions 70 and 72 which are respectively received in an aperture in the side wall 56 and an aperture in the bracket member 74 rigid with the frame.

The firebox assembly 50 is supported in its nested positionin spaced horizontal relation to the bottom wall 44 of the pan assembly by virtue of the supporting efiect of the rod member 48 and by the provision of an angle iron member 76 which is secured to the bottom wall 44 in the,

manner shown most clearly in Figure 2.

Adjacent the upper end of each of the end walls 54 and 56 of the fire box is a strap member 78, these strap members being generally of U-shaped configuration and having intermediate portions 80 disposed in spaced relation to the end walls 54 and 56 such as to removably receive therebetween the laterally offset loop portions 82 of food holder supporting rod members 84. The loops 82 and the supporting bars are disposed substantially at the midportions thereof such that the opposite end portions of the support project on opposite sides. of the fire box. for removably supporting food holding members,

1 such as are conventionally provided with charcoal broiler units of this general type.

In operation, it will be readily appreciated that the fire box assembly will normally be disposed in the upright position as shown in Figure 2 and filled with ignited charcoal for broiling meat or other foods held within the containers or holders previously mentioned which are supported by the rod assemblies 84. The pan assembly acts both as an ash pit and as a drip pan, as will be readily apparent. When it is desired to store the unit, all the leg members may be swung upwardly towards nested relation with the frame or base and the fire box assembly may be disposed in the nested position, as indicated most clearly in Figure 4. On the other hand, it may be desirable at times to utilize the nested position of the fire box assembly for performing certain cooking operations, such as frying, at which time, it will be evident that the spaced relation of the fire box from the bottom wall 44 of the drip pan when the fire box is in the nested position permits ample draft when the fire box is in this position to maintain a fire therein to perform the frying operation.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A charcoal broiler comprising an open rectangular base including spaced side walls and having support legs depending therefrom, a pan disposed between said side walls and including a pair of secondary sidewalls in parallelism to the first side walls, interconnected by a bottom wall, said secondary side walls being provided, with horizontal grooves, a rectangular fire box having an open top, a rod secured to the bottom wall of said box and projecting from opposite sides thereof, said rod having its opposite end portions received in said grooves whereby said fire box, by a combined swinging and sliding movement, may be moved between a first position nested within said pan and a second position upstanding from said pan, and means for maintaining said fire box in the second position.

2. A charcoal broiler comprising an open rectangular base including spaced side walls and having support legs depending therefrom, a pan disposed between said side walls including a pair of elongated secondary sidewalls in parallelism to the first sidewalls, interconnected by a bottom wall, said secondary side walls including longitudinally extending guide means, a rectangular fire box having an open top, pivot and support means secured to the bottom wall of said fire box and projecting from opposite sides thereof, said pivot and support means including portions received in said guide means. of said secondary sidewalls whereby said fire box, by a combined swinging and sliding movement, may be moved from a first position nested within said pan and a second position upstanding from said pan, and means for maintaining said fire box in the second position.

3. A charcoal broiler comprising an open rectangular base including spaced side walls and having support legs depending therefrom, a pan disposed between said side walls and including a pair of secondary side walls in parallelism to the first side walls, interconnected by a bottom wall, said secondary side walls being provided with horizontal grooves, a rectangular fire box having an open top, a rod secured to the bottom wall of said box and projecting from opposite sides thereof, said rod having its opposite end portions received in said grooves whereby said fire box, by a combined swinging and sliding movement, may be moved between a first position nested within said pan and a second position upstanding from said pan, and means for maintaining said fire box in the second position, an angle strip secured to the bot- 4 tom wall of said pan for supporting the upper end of said fire box in spaced relation to said bottom when the former is in the second position.

4. A charcoal broiler comprising an open rectangular base including spaced side walls and having support legs depending therefrom, a pan disposed between said side walls and including a pair of secondary side walls in parallelism to the first side walls, interconnected by a bottom wall, said; secondary side walls being provided with horizontal grooves, a rectangular fire box having an open top, arod secured to the bottom wall of said box and projecting from opposite sides thereof, said rod having its opposite end portions received in said grooves whereby said fire box, by a combined swinging and sliding movement, may be moved between a first position nested within said pan and a second position upstanding from said pan, and means for maintaining said fire box in the second position, said means comprising an elongated rod having oppositely projecting lateral end portions, saidfire box having-an aperture in one of its Side walls and said base having an apertured bracket thereon, said lateral end; portions of the rod being removably received in said apertures, an angle strip secured to thebottom wall of said pan for supporting the upper end of. said fire box in spaced; relation tosaid bottom when the former is in the second position.

5. A, charcoal broiler comprising, an open rectangular base including spaced side walls and having support legs depending, therefrom, a pan. disposed between said side walls and including a pair of secondary side walls in' parallelism. to the first side walls, interconnected by a bottom wall, said. secondary side walls being provided with horizontal grooves a rectangular fire box having an open. -toP,. a rod secured to the bottom wall, of said box and projecting from opposite sides thereof, said' rod having its opposite end portions received in said grooves whereby said fire box, by a combined swinging and sliding movement, may be moved between a first position nested within said pan and a second position upstanding from said pan, and means for rnaintainingsaid fire box in the second position, said fire box having its opposite sides provided with mounting straps, said mounting straps including intermediate portions disposed in spaced relation to their corresponding sides of the fire box, and food holder supportsremovably engaged with said straps, said supports including elongated bars having laterallydeformed intermediate portions received between said straps and corresponding; sides of said fire box.

No references. cited. 

